Optical connector

Abstract

An optical connector having alignment members for aligning with a connector on two mutually perpendicular axis with the optical connector including a displaceable block carrying optical fibers therein that is spatially positionable along a third axis to provide optical communication through the optical connector even though the optical connector may not have continuous optical fibers extending therethrough.

1. An optical connector comprising:
 a base;  
 a pair of alignment members extending from said base;  
 at least one optical fiber extending through said base;  
 a displaceable connector block slidable along said alignment members, said displaceable connector block having an open face and an external face, said displaceable connector block having at least one optical fiber extending from said open face to said external face, said at least one optical fiber in said displaceable connector block providing optical communication across a gap in said optical connector located between the at least one optical fiber extending through said base and the open face of the displaceable connector block when said displaceable connector block is in a mated condition.  
 
   
   
     2. The optical connector of  claim 1  wherein the displaceable connector block includes at least two optical fibers and the base includes at least two optical fibers. 
   
   
     3. The optical connector of  claim 1  including a receptacle having at least one optical fiber wherein the receptacle includes sockets for mechanically engaging the alignment members. 
   
   
     4. The optical connector of  claim 3  wherein the receptacle includes a contact face for forming contact engagement with the external face of the block. 
   
   
     5. The optical connector of  claim 1  wherein the optical connector includes a spring for resilient maintaining the displaceable connector block in an extended condition when unmated and for maintaining the displaceable connector block in a contact condition with an external face on an receptacle when the optical connector is in a mated condition. 
   
   
     6. The optical connector of  claim 1  wherein the optical connector includes a first compression spring extending around said first alignment member and a second compression spring extending around said second alignment member. 
   
   
     7. The optical connector of  claim 1  wherein the optical connector includes a shroud encompassing a portion of the displaceable block to prevent contamination of optical signals therein. 
   
   
     8. The optical connector of  claim 1  wherein the displaceable connector block is slidingly mounted on said alignment members. 
   
   
     9. The optical connector of  claim 1  wherein the alignment members are located in a parallel condition with the at least one optical fiber in the displaceable block located parallel to the alignment members and each of said at least one optical fibers includes a lens for transmitting an optical signal across the gap in the optical connector. 
   
   
     10. An optically connected system comprising:
 a circuit board;  
 an optical connector secured to said circuit board said optical connector having a base with a plurality of optical fibers each having an end face located in an open face of said base, said optical connector having a resiliently displaceable connector block having a plurality of optical fibers extending from an open face of said displaceable connector block to an external face of said displaceable block with said plurality of optical fibers of said base of said optical connector spaced from said plurality of optical fibers in said displaceable block to form a gap between said displaceable block and said base;  
 a backplane connector for attachment to said circuit board, said backplane connector having an external face for optically engaging said external face of said displaceable connector block so that when the backplane connector is brought into optical communication with the external face of the displaceable connector block the displaceable connector block displacing yields but maintains an optical connection within the optical connector.  
 
   
   
     11. The system of  claim 10  wherein the optical connector includes two alignment members and a receptacle having two sockets for mechanically engaging the alignment members. 
   
   
     12. The system of  claim 11  wherein the optical connector includes a set of springs to maintain a spring force on the displaceable connector block. 
   
   
     13. The system of  claim 12  wherein the springs comprise compression springs positioned around said alignment members. 
   
   
     14. The system of  claim 13  including a shroud surrounding the optical connector to prevent interference with optical connections thereon.